Don't Stop Believing
by xlessthan3heartx
Summary: Eli and Clare are two very different people who think they only have one thing in common-horrible home lives. When they meet on the 2 am train, they decide the only way to make it in the real world is to stick together. They're just two kids running away.
1. Just a small town girl and a city boy

Don't Stop Believing'

Clare's POV

"No, Helen! I can't do this anymore! We're done."

"Fine! I'm better off without you!"

I clenched my hands over my ears and tried to drown it all out. This was it. They were done. I sighed and got up, making my way over to my desk. I looked at the piece of paper laying there.

'Reasons why my life sucks'

Alli is gone

Small-town

Darcy's not here

Parents are falling out of love

No money

Possible foreclosure (dads fault)

No one cares anymore

Everyone has given up (on everything)

No one to talk to anymore'

I stared at the lined paper taking in all the things I had written down in the past month. And this was it. This was the end. I swore to myself that at the 10th thing I would write down, I would run away. Slowly I wrote down

'Parent's divorcing'

I sighed and grabbed the suitcase I had packed since Alli left and my life started spiraling downhill. Without hesitation I ran out the front doors (no one was home anyways, they had both left after throwing that last dish) and to the nearest bus station.

Eli's POV

Punch. Kick. Cursing. I closed my eyes and waited for it all to be over. He threw me over to the table, where the glass broke, shattering all over me. I screamed, blood dripping down my face.

"Elijah. Wake up." I slowly opened my eyes to a wedge of moonlight illuminating my 'mom's' face. I cringed.

"What is the matter with you?" she asked.

"Oh, just-just another bad dream. Gotta stop playing Call of Duty before bed. Sorry." I shrugged.

"Do not play video games after 7 o'clock! How many times have I told you that? Now, go to bed. You have church and youth group in the morning." My mother said, harshly.

"Youth group? What?"

"Oh, yes. Did I forget to talk to you? You're doing youth group to see if they can 'help you'."

"Help me?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes, yes. You're not very…well in the head."

"I'm FINE! I've gone through a shit-load of stuff; do you expect me to be butterflies and rainbows, _MOTHER?_"

My mother slapped me across the face. She did not just do that. All of the sudden the horrid memories came back, it was just like in my nightmare. Youth group my _ass. _I'm getting the hell out of here.

"Elijah," I winced at the use of my full name, "get some sleep. You are grounded until further notice." I stared at her in disbelief as she walked out of the room. Once she was out, I made a dash for it. I had a suitcase packed already. I ran out of the house. I didn't care how much noise I was making. I was going away for good. I don't need anybody. At least, that's what I thought until I met _her._

**A/N: **This was a short filler chapter; the next will be better, promise! Please click the yellow button down there! It looks kind of lonely, just sayin'.


	2. Took the midnight train going anywhere

"Where to?"

"Anywhere." Clare and Eli both uttered those words at 3 o'clock in the morning; they were both looking for a new start. Neither knew where they were going, or when they were going to get there.

Eli sat down on one of the hard wooden benches, shivering from the cold and rubbing his hands together to create heat. His phone rang multiple times, all from his 'mom'. Eventually, he just turned it off.

Clare's auburn hair whipped in the winter wind, lashing across her face. She sighed and looked to her phone again...no messages. Her blue eyes started to well up with tears that slowly started to cascade down her face.

He heard the sound of the train quickly approaching, then boarded it and sat down in one of the aisle seats. Right before he was about to get settled, he heard someone scream his name.

"Eli!" the sandy haired boy screamed, taking the steps on to the train twice at a time in order to get to his friend.

"Adam?" asked Eli, extremely confused. Adam held up his pointer finger, panting. Once he had caught his breath, he made his way over to Eli.

"Hey." Adam said awkwardly.

"Adam, what the hell are you doing here?" Eli asked, slightly happy to see the only good thing about his life, his best friend.

"I... I well went to, uh, your house and your mom were calling the police and she was worried. She said you weren't in bed, and asked me if I knew where you were.

"You didn't tell her, right?" Eli clarified.

"No! Don't worry, man. But, dude. The police are looking for you."

"That's wonderful." spat Eli, sarcastically. "But you have to leave. The train is going to leave soon."

"Man, your tough and all that crap, but I'm your bro. I'm here for you. I'm not going to let you be a fugitive alone." Adam smiled. Eli looked at him.

"Your coming with me?" he asked, appalled. "Adam I have no idea where I'm going or where my destination is. I'm not going to make you go through that."

"Eli, I'm coming." Adam plopped himself down next to his dark-haired friend. Eli sighed. It would be nice to have a friend here, and he knew how stubborn Adam was. He wouldn't leave.

"Clare? Clare Edwards?" Clare looked up from her vampire novel only to be met with the brown eyes of Fiona Coyne.

"Fiona?" Clare asked.

"Hi... what are you doing here? On a train? At 3:00?"

"I'm, err, running away..." muttered Clare."I could ask you the same thing, though."

"And I could say the same thing." sighed Fiona sitting beside Clare. Clare looked at Fiona thoughtfully. She was always the snobby, cloud 9 rich girl in Degrassi. Sister of Declan, friend of Holly J, she had it all.

"What-what, you're running away? Why?" Clare asked. She couldn't fathom why a girl like Fiona ever felt the need to escape her life.

"Last boyfriend got, uh, abusive, and mom wanted me to file a lawsuit. I said no, and she said that she thought everything I said was a lie, and I was making it all up as a stunt. She told Declan, too. They all hate me." Fiona said, disgusted, with tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh, oh. I'm so sorry!" Clare awkwardly put her arms around the distraught girl. She cried into Clare's shoulder. Fiona pulled back and cocked her head.

"What about you, miss Saint? Church calls you a sinner? Lost your cross?" Fiona asked. Clare frowned slightly, the bitchy Fiona she knew was back. Instead of answering, though, Clare pulled out the lined paper that was tearing at the edges. The reasons she left. Fiona took it, confused. Her eyes scanned over the paper, absorbing the information.

"Wow, that's horrible. I'm sorry." This time it was Clare's turn to cry into Fiona's designer labeled-covered shoulder.

**A/N- Next chapter is where they interact. Do you like the fact that I'm bringing Fadam into this? :P Review? **


	3. Chapter 3

I was secretly glad Adam was with me. Aside from my sister, he was the only person I could trust. I sighed, thinking about my sister. I hadn't seen her in... months?  
"Yo, dude. Hottie at 4 o'clock." Adam nudged me. I followed my gaze to where he was pointing. Two girls sat on the opposite side of the train. They both looked like they had been crying and they were consolig each other, nodding and hugging. One had strawberry blonde hair, curly around to her shoulders. She had the most stunning blue eyes, and pink plump lips that were quivering. She had beautiful curves and she looked shy. Her hair his her perfect porcelain face and her skin was as pale as her face. She had a light gloss over her lips, but no other make-up. She was breathtaking. There was another one, too. I wasn't one to make stereotypes, but she definitely struck me as a snotty rich kid. I wondered what she was doing on a train, with a designer handbag (Yes, my knowledge of that came from my sister) with a girl who only clutched a book. She had curly brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. She had on a vintage sun dress with a short cropped leather jacket with her sleeves rolled up.  
"Which one?" I asked, although I already knew which one caught my eye.  
"The one on the left!" Oh. He was talking about the rich girl. "Go for it, man. Go for it." I gave him a little push and he practically fell into the girl. I smirked. Adam had never been good around the ladies, it was like he was my padawan.  
ADAM POV "S-sorry." I stuttered nervously. I quickly threw a glare at Eli, who was smirking. "It's okay." The girl smiled. She was stunning. She was beautiful. Ever bone in my body said no. I wouldn't get mixed up in this. Girls like these wanted people from 'their crowd', they didn't want anything to do with a freak like me. I could see in Eli's eyes he thought her friend was cute. The one with the hair like Kitty Foreman. I decided to him a favor.  
"What are you two pretty ladies doing on a train at this hour? It's dangerous." I asked, jokingly.  
"I think we can take care of ourselves."  
"No we can't," her friend breathed out, under her breath.  
"Your friend doesn't seem to think so," I noted, nodding at the blue eyed girl.  
"She's just hesitant. About all of this."  
"All of what?"  
"Running away." the girl piped up softly, the first time she had spoken finally, to me directly.  
"Well, if you guys need any help, me and my friend Eli," I pointed to him and he raised his eyebrows and nodded at us (I noticed the blue eyed girl blushed at this.) "We're your guys." I smiled and started to walk off, when the (I'm guessing) rich chick's voice squeaked up behind me.  
"Wait!"  
"Hmm?" I turned around slowly.  
"We never got your name." the girl said.  
"We'll have to fix that, won't we? Come sit over here." I pointed to seats closer to Eli and I's.  
"Okay." the girl nodded, standing up so she could look me straight in the eyes. Wow, I could get lost in her eyes. And I could run my fingers through her hair, kiss her lips senseless... Stop it, Adam! You can't go through another rejection. Again. You know what happens. Besides, I just met her! I don't even know her name, yet!  
"No, their strangers." I snapped out of my trance to see the rich girl attempting to get the blue eyed one to come sit with us. She was stubborn. She had her arms crossed and her mouth pressed into a line.  
"Come on." I smiled. The girl looked up at me, annoyed.  
"No." She said. I smiled. I knew these girls. I knew how to deal with them.  
"Or, are you scared...?" I trailed off. The girl scoffed. I mentally smirked. "I'm NOT scared of you," she looked past me at Eli, "or your friend."  
"Then come on," I prompted, "unless you really are scared?" The girl huffed. Then she stood up.  
"Fine. But only to prove I'm NOT SCARED." she stood up and stalked off, smirking and sitting down at the seat nearest Eli's. The rich girl smiled and sat down in the seat nearest where I sat. I smiled. Maybe running away wouldn't be so bad. 


	4. Chapter 4

Eli liked to fly solo. He wasn't very happy I had invited the girls to sit with us. Still, he sat their leaning back and smirking.

"Okay!" I rubbed my hands together and smiled the rich girl. "Names?"

"I'm Fiona." so rich girl had an ogre's name?

"You mean like that green monster in Shrek?" asked Eli, reading my thoughts. Fiona blushed and nodded. All eyes then turned to her friend, the blue-eyed shy girl. She looked up, annoyed. She then whispered something in Fiona's ear.

"_**Clare **_says _**Clare **_won't tell you guy her name." Fiona smirked and giggled.

"Fiona!" cried Clare, blushing. Eli smirked. Again.

Eli's POV

Blue-eyed beauty is shy. How cute. Whoa, wait. Did I say _cute_? Eli Goldsworthy does NOT say cute. I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore the butterflies flying around in my stomach. Stupid butterflies.

"I'm Adam." Machismo smiled, introducing himself..

"And I'm Eli." I said, boringly.

"Eli?" asked the Fiona chick, in the same mocking tone I used with her, "Like Eli Manning? The book of Eli?"

"And proud of it. Well, not the football part. But the Book of Eli is a classic." I retorted.

"So, I feel we should get to know each other." Adam said.

"Why?" I asked, pissed. Human interaction was not my thing.

"Because, let's face it. We're not going to make it alone. And neither are you or Clare. The only way we're going to make it is sticking together."

"I'm not staying with you guys." Clare spat. "I hardly even know you!"

"C'mon, Clare." Fiona begged. "You know you can't make it."

"Yeah, come one, _Clare,"_ I smirked, "We're nice people. Except when the full moon comes out, then the fangs come out." I teased, poking her fortnight novel. Clare scowled.

"Okay, well once you two are done with your _love fest,_" Adam earned a good punch from that one, "can we at least start by saying how we got here?"

"Well, you see Adam, when two people love each other very much, or hell, even if they didn't, maybe it was a one-night stand,…" I started.

"You know what I mean!" Adam shrieked, shushing me. I smirked.

"Well, I'm here because my family gave up on me. I had an abusive ex and h-he lied about hitting me, and no one believed me, so I had to…leave." Fiona had tears in her eyes. "I'-I'm so sorry." Adam sighed, rubbing her back. She cried softly into her chest. I sighed.

"Blue eyes? What about you?" I asked nudging her.

"I have a name."

"You never officially told me it, though."

"Fine." she stuck out her hand and in a huff said, "I'm Clare Edwards."

I smiled and shook it. "Goldsworthy. Elijah Goldsworthy. But call me Eli."

She cocked her head.. "Well that was mildly confusing. But, um, okay then."

"Can't keep up with me?" I smirked.

"Okay, okay." Adam said, smiling at our little banter.

"I-well," Clare stuttered. Fiona held on to Clare's hand. "It's okay, I'll tell them." Fiona smiled reassuringly.

"It was a bunch of things that brought her here. Her friend left, her sister left, her parents hate each other, they don't care about her, her parents got divorced." Fiona rambled.

"I'm sorry." said Adam, sympathetically, "and so is Eli." he nudged me. I ran a hand through my hair. I'm never one for sympathy. I don't give it, I don't get it.

"I'm here because Eli is. So it's his turn." Adam poked me. I shook my head.

"No way." I'm not ready for the pity, or the looks. Or the pain that comes with speaking the words out loud, knowing that it's real.

"Come on, man. We all said it. It's not that bad." Adam quickly realized what he had said.

"Not that bad?" I mocked him bitterly.

"No, dude, I didn't mean it like that," Adam started. I got up and quickly walked to the other end of the train. I could feel the tears. I could feel them stinging my eyes. I could feel my heart beating quickly. I was extremely aware of Clare sitting down beside me. I turned away. A tear was about to flow over. I could feel it. If I wiped it away, it would be to obvious. If I didn't she would see it. It didn't matter either way, though, because Clare saw how much I was hurting. She put an arm on my shoulder and leaned me into her shoulder. I let my head rest there, she didn't say anything. She didn't try to push me. She just sat there, letting me soak her shirt in tears.


	5. Chapter 5

ELI'S POV

What was I doing? Crying into some strangers shoulder. I'm better than this. I'm stronger than this. All my life I've been independent, why do I have the sudden urge to pour everything out, to tell this girl my darkest secret? I couldn't, I wouldn't, and I shouldn't. _Yet I wanted to. _Keep it together, Eli! I sniffled and brought my head up to look into those baby blues.

"So-sorry." I stuttered. Clare smiled.

"It's okay. Are-are you okay?" Aw, she was worried about me. How sweet. NO, Eli! That's sympathy! You hate sympathy!

"I'm fine." I smirked. She frowned.

"No, no you're not. Eli, it's not good to keep things bottled up."

"What makes you think I'm keeping things bottled up?"

"I just…know."

"Oh, like you know everything?" I asked, standing up. She got up to face me.

"No, but I do know how people get when they keep things inside. Don't be that person, Eli. That jerk that doesn't let his feelings show."

"Clare, you don't know me. Maybe I am that person, maybe that's all I'll ever be! Maybe, just maybe, I don't feel comfortable telling a stranger that. Maybe I don't feel like dumping a bunch of shit on them!"

"Well, maybe that stranger is different from the other ones you've met. Maybe they'd be happy to listen because-"

"Because why? Because you feel sorry for them? A pity party? No, thanks."

"Eli, I didn't mean that." Clare said softly, leveling her voice.

"Than what did you mean?" I asked sitting down on the train and sighing.

"Maybe I'd be happy to listen because I think you're _nice,_ that maybe if you opened up, you would smile more. Instead of that crooked smirk thing you do." She put a hand on my shoulder.

"Clare, why do you care? Why should I tell you? Why do you think I'm nice?" I shrugged her off. Everyone hated me. I'm that emo boy who everyone should stay away from. A reputation for running away from commitment, _to anything, _and here she was, the girl on the train, telling me I was _nice_? Seriously, who was she?

"Eli, please. Don't question it. I don't know, either. I just don't think that you're all black. All bad. Maybe you're all bark and no bite."  
"Comparing me to a dog now, Edwards?"

"Oh come on, you know what I mean! So just tell me!"

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me _what _you're doing on a train. Tell me _what _gives you the right to be so…cocky and annoying. Tell me _what _it is in you that is making me so attracted to you!" She quickly covered up her hand.

CLARE'S POV

"…Tell me what it is in you that makes me so attracted to you!" OH MY GOD! Did I just say that? I know I have a tendency to ramble and when I do I don't realize what I'm saying, but…OH MY GOD! He's smirking. Say something, stupidly hot boy! _Say something! _

"Whoa, hold the phone. Attractive?" he was still smirking. I was still blushing. Great. Fiona wants to stay with these guys and now I've made things so much more awkward! You stupid screw-up…just like dad had said… you ruin everything. I was so stupid.

"I've got to go." My voice cracks at the end, a sure sign that I'm going to cry any second. It wasn't the fact I had called Eli attractive, it was me thinking about Dad again. They don't even care about me…

"Wait, Clare!" Eli grabs my arm.

"What?" I hiss, afraid that if I speak any louder I will start to cry.

"What's wrong?" The smirk is gone. He looks worried.

"I'm stupid. I know you don't like me _that way_ and I'm really sorry I messed up what could've been a great friendship. I'm sorry I'm such a screw up." I whisper. Eli grabs my chin and forces me to look at him.

"Clare, you're not a screw-up. You didn't mess anything up. How do you know I don't like you that way?"

"Yes I am! Don't you see? I mess everything up. I'm a mess, Eli. No one likes me that way. I know that, I'm stupid, I'm ugly, and I'm fat, just…just save your breath. I'm not worth lying to to get me to feel better." Eli stares. That's all he does. Just stares. _Stop looking at me, stupid boy!_ I try to mentally yell at him. He doesn't get the memo.

"Clare. What would make you think you're any of those things?" he looks generally confused. Confused and _hurt._

"My dad," I almost whisper. "H-He said all that stuff. He said I wasn't good enough. I deserved to die. If I wasn't born, he and my mom would be so much better off. I ruined their marriage. I ruined a _marriage, _Eli!"

"Oh, Clare." He whispers. "Please, don't ever think those things. You're beautiful, smart, funny, Clare; I can tell all these things I met you a freaking hour ago!" I nod shakily.

"Thank you, Eli." I say.

"No problem." He gets up and offers me a hand. "Let's get back to Fiona and Adam, shall we?" I take his hand and get up. His hand lingers there for one more second then it should have. He glances at me quickly, and I'm blushing. He chuckles at how quickly I become embarrassed.

FIONA'S POV

This Adam boy was…amazing. Down to Earth, smart, funny, _intriguing. _

"So, where did you used to live?" Me and Adam were doing some kind of interrogation process, trying to get to know each other better.

"New York." Adam nods.

"The Big Apple. Impressive," he smiles. I nod.

"Hey, man." Eli slides in next to Adam and Clare does the same with me on the other side.

"Oh, hey," Adam nods.

"Just out of curiosity," Clare starts (she seems A LOT more comfortable with Adam and Eli now) "does anyone know where we're going when the train stops?" We all look around at each other. I guess none of us thought that far ahead yet.

"Uhm, Never land?" Adam jokes. We all laugh.

"No, but seriously, I have no idea. Eli, anything?" Adam asks Eli. He shakes his head.

"Not a clue." We all look around at each other, stumped.

"Well, this'll be an adventure, then!" Adam says smiling. _Yes, Adam, _I thought¸ _yes it will._


End file.
